"Sometimes you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book"

Tuesday, 20 November 2012

Is There A Place for Romantic Fiction in the Age of Cynicism? Guest Post by Vickie Hall

Is There A Place for Romantic Fiction in the Age of Cynicism?

This is a guest post by Vickie Hall, author of Secrets of the Red box, as part of the book tour for the previously mentioned novel. I'd like to thank her for contributing her writing to my humble blog!

As with many topics, there are often polar opposite aspects that
attempt to sway us to one side or the other. This is certainly true of
writing Romance. We live in a world of opposites, and often those
opposites do not represent the vast middle ground that more closely
mirrors the majority.

While on one hand, we are faced with a growing number of erotic
romances flooding the marketplace, and leaving little to the
imagination, I would also suggest they are one of those polar opposites.
These books are filled with, I conjecture, an unrealistic view of the
norm, explicit and crude and debasing. Sadly, there will always be an
audience for this type of salacious material, but does it serve as a
true comparrison of our own lives? Or are we left feeling our lives are
lacking in excitement and pleasure after reading one of these stories?

On the other hand, we have a market of idealized romance, that in my
opinion, is just as harmful but in a different way. These books depict
love and marriage in such glowing terms, and with such unrealistic
loftiness that no love or marriage could ever stand against it and
survive. I've heard stories of women comparing their own realities
against these romanticized versions and coming up short, and
disappointed, and seeking something better.

The simple truth is, life is complicated, love is complicated, and
neither of the polar opposites represent a truthful, honest portrayal of
real life. Is there a place for this type of romance novel, the type
that more closely reflects the vast middle ground of normalcy?
Absolutely! When a reader can truly identify with a protagonist who
struggles, suffers, and hurts because of her love, but can also find
fulfillment, joy, and happiness in it, we are rewarded. I know I respond
more deeply to stories that represent a relatable plot with flawed
characters, flawed just as we are, than to stories with such idealized
opposites

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Come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination...

Welcome to aweBOOKsome, where I'll be reviewing the various books I read as well as posting other book related stuff. As for genres I'd say that there isn't a particular theme for this blog, though my reading tastes mean there will probably be a lot of fantasy and classics as well as the odd graphic novel chucked in for good measure.If you have any suggestions for books you'd like me to review or for anything else you want to see on this blog, I'd love to hear them!DFTBA